Quest for a Dream
by Riemann Hypothesis
Summary: Three days after Sephiroth's defeat, Cloud disappears, leaving Tifa heartbroken and alone. Summoning her strength, she searches the world for him. Why did he leave? Where has he gone?
1. Chapter 1

_**Hide and Seek**_

She looked towards the sky, yearning. It was a strange irony, to be sure. The five years she spent in Seventh Heaven prior to the destruction of Sector 7 brought an overwhelming desire to be in the presence of sunlight. Now, the sunlight was bountiful, but it brought a sense of incompleteness. She yearned for the times the group was all together, even if it was stressful and dangerous, even if they suspected that any day could be their last. The infiniteness of light represented complete freedom; wherever light travelled, it was unhindered by circumstance or the actions of others, and continued forever. It represented all of the possibilities in life. And one of those possibilities was finding him. Oh, how it would be great to be like light.

It had been an entire year since the events that shaped their destinies had unfolded. A year since the world's most notorious SOLDIER had attempted to eradicate humanity to ascend to the title of god. A year since the death of a close friend. A year since meteor was destroyed. And sadly, a year since she had last seen him.

Cloud had always been a walking labyrinth; hell, even he didn't know who he was for a while. Every maze in this labyrinth represented a potential Cloud, and only when one finds the center of this labyrinth do they find the true Cloud, devoid of any outside confounding. He was most likely, she thought, still trying to find that center.

For the first part of his life, he had a dream to be a hero like Sephiroth, in an attempt to impress others. Was that dream really his? She didn't think so. As a result of being excluded from social activity as a child, he just wanted to be admired, and that happened to be the best way to do it. Then, his memories were replaced with those of Zack's, and at that point didn't even know who he really was. Maybe, wherever he was, he was trying to discover what he really wants out of life, for himself and no one else. At least, she hoped.

After Meteorfall, there was a brief world celebration which culminated in a time of rebuilding. Midgar was largely being rebuilt, but with Mako reactors being replaced with oil-based electrical plants, a project which was headed up by Barrett. The funding was provided by the World Regenesis Organization, led by former Head of Urban Development for Shinra, Reeve. Junon, now also under the control of the WRO, took off the huge roof covering the lower city, thus allowing fishing to once again become a staple in the local economy. Mideel also rapidly rebuilt, though in a location a bit further from the Lifestream, so as to avoid future catastrophes.

Everyone was happy. Except for one person. She was hopeful that he would cheer up, and enjoy the celebration with their closest friends and colleagues. After all, they were the ones responsible for the celebrations and rebuilding that was occurring. But to her despair, it never happened. Three days after the defeat of Sephiroth, Cloud disappeared, and had not been seen or heard from since.

Primarily, Tifa lived in a semi-rebuilt Sector 7, having reconstructed Seventh Heaven. The upper plate had been removed, allowing for light to reach the slums. However, she spent the bulk of her time searching the world for Cloud. In all honesty, she hadn't a clue where he would have gone. The only possible place that would make sense to her was the Church in Sector 5, but that idea proved to be incorrect. It was a painful feeling to know that, despite her best intentions to become close to Cloud, he still left. And what's worse, she didn't even know why.

She desperately pleaded with her friends to assist her in her endeavor, and most agreed at first, but after weeks of searching, everyone gave up and moved back to their hometowns. Cid married Shera and was working on a new airship. Red XIII, whom they all affectionately called Nanaki now, returned to claim his rightful place as the guardian of Cosmo Canyon. Barrett travelled around looking for oil mines, but lived primarily in Sector 7 with Marlene, so Tifa saw him often. Vincent was a mystery; he came and went, but where he went, nobody really knew. The only person who remained to assist Tifa in her quest was the ninja-extraordinaire, Yuffie, who was incredibly confident in her abilities to track down their missing comrade.

"Well, he's not in Wutai, that's for sure," the materia hunter claimed as she placed her drink on a picnic table outside Seventh Heaven. She looked up, staring into the sky above the bar.

"Hm, I'm sure you performed a _thorough _search there. And I'm sure you had an _excellent _theory as to why he might be there," Tifa sarcastically replied, grinning.

"I did! Obviously, he might have went there to see me!" she winked.

"Haha. Maybe." She joined Yuffie in looking upwards. The sense of yearning bubbled to the surface once more. She wanted to know that he's okay. She wanted to know why he left. But after a year of searching, there had been no results. Just about everyone had given up. But she vowed she wouldn't. What else did she have in this world? Her hometown was gone. Her family was gone. Her friends were all spread out. There were no personal goals to attend to. She just wanted one thing. Him. And if she had to spend the rest of her life searching, she'd do it.

"So when is Barrett expected back?" the ninja questioned, breaking her friend out of her agonistic thoughts.

"Hm. He called yesterday. He's found an area containing a vast amount of oil near Rocket Town, so he's spending three days there to initiate the drilling, and then he's coming back," she answered, smiling.

"Ah, sounds cool. Betcha he hangs with Cid a little while," she said, a smirk forming on her face. "Ya know, when I first met Barrett, his tough guy attitude and huge physique scared the hell out of me."

"Yet you still had the guts to steal his materia?" Tifa winked.

"Yep! But when I met CID, now that guy makes Barrett look humble."

"No kidding! Every time I drink tea now, I can't help but think of him."

"One time, while we were riding on the Highwind, I had a terrible bout of motion sickness. Cid came up to me, and in no uncertain terms, told me that if I puked on his ship, he'd spear me with his Venus Gospel and use me as a mop to clean it up," Yuffie chuckled. The two cracked up.

"So how's materia hunting going?" Tifa changed the conversation. Yuffie's wide grin shifted to one of disappointment.

"Not going. Kinda hard to find any materia that is special, ya know? I mean, I don't just want materia you can buy in a store. I want a rare piece, one that everyone will want to come to Wutai to see!"

"And Leviathan wasn't enough?"

"No way! Knights of the Round might be, but well, dunno where Cloud took it."

"Well, then there's your motivation to find him!"

"Yeah. Man, even though you guys hated me for a while, I miss stealing your materia, heehee. Those were the good old days," she said, placing her head in her arms, a nostalgic expression finding its way to her face.

"Yup. I really miss them. Even the battles. Even the dangers."

"And Cloud most of all, am I right?"

Tifa nodded, a tear forming in her eye.

"C'mon, Tifa! We're gonna find him!" Yuffie jumped off the picnic table, and pounded her chest confidently.

"I wish…but I just don't know where he'd be."

"Well, we've looked all over Midgar, I've checked Wutai. Nanaki would let us know if he was spotted in Cosmo Canyon, and the same for Cid if Rocket Town."

"True. And he's not the type to take a vacation, so I doubt he'd be at Costa del Sol or Icicle Inn."

"So that only leaves….seven places! Mideel, Nibelheim, Gongaga, Bone Village, Corel, Junon, and Kalm."

"Only?" she replied sarcastically. "You sure are optimistic."

"No negative Nancy's around here!" she winked in response. "Look at it like this: we're playing a game!"

"Um, a game?" she raised an eyebrow in question.

"Yeah! Hide and seek! But on a WORLD scale! So when, and that's a when, not if, WHEN we find Cloud, it'll be an awesome victory!"

"Heh, I guess. Well, I doubt he'd be in any of those places. For the majority, there's nothing there. Junon is the second largest city in the world, so there's a possibility. But I still don't know why he'd be there."

"Well, it's your call, girl! Where are we going to go next?"

Tifa closed her eyes, concentrating. "Let's try our luck with Junon."

"Then Junon it is!"

A/N: Starting a new story! Hopefully it doesn't disappoint. The first chapter is relatively short; I promise this won't always be the case.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Encounters of the Strange Kind**_

The duo left Seventh Heaven in the early morning hours the following day, and arrived at Junon a little after sunrise. Tifa hadn't been to Junon since their adventures a year prior, and the view now that the deck covering Lower Junon was removed was spectacular. Both girls made their way to the beach to take in some of the aesthetics before getting down to work. The electric fence that was present before had also been removed, to allow sea creatures to come and go as they please, so there were no obstacles to the magnificent view.

The sun was just on the horizon, and the sea winds gusted through their hair, creating the perfect temperature. The aroma of sea salt calmed their nerves and in the distance, the sound of seagulls and fish splashing could be heard without strain. It was definitely a more relaxing setting than the stress she'd become accustomed to. Yuffie closed her eyes with a grin, and took in a deep breath. Tifa took in the surroundings visually, offering only a slight smile. Though she appreciated the company of her friend, there was still someone else Tifa would rather be here with, and honestly felt a pang of guilt over feeling that way. When would she ever be able to truly enjoy life again?

Around them, people began to stir, running their daily errands. Now that fishing had once again become a staple in the economy, the boats were loaded early in the morning. However, it wasn't a bustling stir as in Midgar, where everything was push and shove. Most of the people in lower Junon were either at or above middle age and were very courteous and quiet, taking care of their business without disturbing others.

"Allllllright. Ready to get started?" the ninja extraordinaire cheered, breaking the silence and pounding her first into the air.

"You got it!" As the two turned around to make their way back into the main town, a small girl in a bikini ran up to them, an elderly man following more slowly in tow.

"Heeeeey! It's you guys!" the girl exclaimed. Nostalgia rushed over Tifa, as she vividly recalled the day they had first met the girl. It had been on their first visit to Junon, while trailing Sephiroth. There, they met this strange little girl who had an obsession with a dolphin, when once again, duty called for the group to save someone. A Bottomswell had attacked, and if they hadn't been there to stop it, there's no doubt that this little girl would not be running right now.

"Priscilla! How've you been?" Tifa responded, embracing the girl in a hug. Yuffie did the same.

"I've been gooooood! Mr. Dolphin left, though, now that the fence keeping him in is gone," she replied, sporting a pouty face. Her grandfather, minding his manners, was sure to repeat the question.

"It's good to see you all! How have YOU been?" He looked around momentarily, then added, "And where's Cloud? You never came here without him, before."

Tifa looked downwards, unable to respond. Yuffie took the opportunity to answer. "Actually, that's kinda why we're here. See, we don't know where Cloud is. He left a year ago, and we've been looking for him ever since."

"WHAT? HE LEFT?" Priscilla showed no refrain from expressing her emotions. After the Junon incident where Cloud performed CPR on her, she always regarded him as her hero, and made sure everyone knew about it.

"That's really quite unfortunate," the elderly man responded, his initial smile giving way to a caring frown.

"Yeah. So I take it you guys haven't seen him?"

"No," the man shook his head, "we haven't. What makes you think he'd come here?"

"Honestly, no reason in particular, other than the fact that it's the second largest city in the world."

"Makes sense," he replied pondering. "You know, I believe I may know someone who can help." This caught Tifa's attention, as she looked back up.

"Really? Who?"

"Reeve Tuesti, the leader of the WRO. He's actually in Junon for the week on official business, so you may be able to catch him. He's a very nice man, and since Cloud helped in that meteor event, I'm sure he'd be more than obliged to help."

"THAT'S GENIUS!" Yuffie jumped. "We actually know Reeve! Why didn't we think of that?"

"To be honest, I have no idea," she wondered. "Where is he, do you know?"

"Sure. He's most likely at the WRO Headquarters in Upper Junon. Take the elevator, and proceed across the main route until you come to another elevator. Take it up, and that'll be the WRO Headquarters. If you know where the Shinra HQ was before, it's the same place." Tifa definitely remembered; she had been there for nearly a week after Sephiroth used the black materia. It was where she was almost executed, so that wasn't her fondest of places to go. Nonetheless, if it could aid in their search for Cloud, it was worth it.

"Thank you! Well, see you later!" The man waved in return, and the duo headed towards the elevator.

"What a brilliant idea! The WRO is the world's largest organization, with members in practically every town. If anyone would be able to find Cloud, Reeve should!" Tifa nodded in concurrence.

* * *

As they made their way up the stairs to the WRO Junon Headquarters, they found the entrance guarded by a familiar face. The man's red hair, untidy suit, and electromagnetic rod were unmistakable. Upon noticing them, he dawned his ever cocky smirk.

"Well, well, well. Look who it is!"

"Do we know you?" Yuffie teased, winking.

"Ouch, that one hurt!" He played, holding his hand to his stomach. "So how've you guys…or girls rather, been?"

"Been good! Just playing hide-and-seek!" Reno raised an eyebrow to the response. What a strange, random girl.

"So they have you on guard duty, huh?" Tifa inquired, looking around.

"Hey!" He got comically defensive. "The WRO is now the largest organization in the world. You can't let just anyone guard the headquarters!"

"So basically, they have you playing guard duty," the ninja confirmed. Reno sighed in response.

"Unfortunately. Rude gets the more exciting jobs. APPARENTLY he's more serious about work than I am. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT?" he whined.

Both girls grinned. "Can't even _imagine_ that one," Yuffie's sarcasm was ever present. "So anyways," she got to the point, "is Reeve in?"

"That's affirmative. But…"

Yuffie scowled. "But what?"  
"Well, I can't just let you go in."

"Um, and why not? We _did_ save the world and all!" she replied, matter-of-factly, placing her hands on her hips.

"Because, you have to give me a kiss, babe!" he flirted. Yuffie stuck out her tongue in whimsical disgust.

"Yuck! I don't know where that mouth has been! Oh wait, yeah I do…on guard duty!" Tifa giggled in response.

"Alright, alright. Enough with the heckling! You can go in!" he moved to the side, permitting them admittance.

"Thanks!" Tifa said.

They spotted Reeve supervising and giving instructions to some computer operators. Upon their entrance, he noticed them immediately, and walked over to them, smiling. "Long time, no see!" He greeted.

The group exchanged hugs, before the obvious question was asked. "So what are you two doing here?"

"Well," Tifa began, "we were actually wondering if you could possibly help us." Reeve's face looked puzzled. What did these two need help with?

"Of course. With what?"

Yuffie, knowing full-well how emotional Tifa became when trying to explain, took it upon herself to pose the favor. "We're trying to find Cloud."

"Oh, I see. Is he missing?" His expression shifted to one of concern. Through Cait Sith, he'd gotten to know Cloud well, and knew that he was a man of good character. It'd be sad, indeed, if anything happened to the man that saved the world.

"Yeah. A couple days after Sephiroth was defeated, he left without saying a word. So, we're trying to find him."

"Interesting," the WRO leader remarked, pondering over the situation. What would make Cloud leave the only people who had stuck by him? It made no sense. This inquiry gave way to another, possibly more important one. "You say he left?" He looked back up.

"Yep," the ninja replied.

"So you SAW him leave?"

"Well…no, but, why?" Tifa answered this time, not sure what Reeve was getting at.

"You say he disappeared. But him leaving willingly makes no sense whatsoever to me, since you guys are all his friends. So if nobody saw him leave, we cannot exclude the possibility that he didn't leave willingly." As always, Reeve was the voice of reason. His thought processes were always logical, which was why, despite his defiance of Shinra policies, he was always kept around.

"What are you saying?" Yuffie asked, annoyed at what she thought might be the insinuation.

"I'm saying it's possible he was taken forcefully."

Tifa's mouth fell agape, and felt a knot in her stomach. She hadn't considered the possibility he had been kidnapped. She had just been cynical and jumped to the conclusion he had left, unhappy with something in life. And not just her; nobody among the group thought of this. Now, worry fused with guilt as a tear rolled down her cheek. Reeve, seeing the response, attempted to change the mood a bit.

"Tifa, Yuffie," they looked up, "you have my word that my best people will be out looking for him. RENO!" He yelled loudly. Through the door walked the redheaded Turk.

"Yeah, boss?" he asked casually.

"New assignment. You're to meet up with Rude, Tseng, and Elena, and look for Cloud."

"Oh, sweet! I don't have to be a Guard Hound anymore. Looks like I've become a German Shepherd," he replied sarcastically. Yuffie and Reeve both rolled their eyes.

"Uh, sir!" One of the computer operators called over to Reeve, a sense of desperation and urgency in his voice.

"Yes?" The president called over his shoulder.

"You better come take a look at this! It's him again!" A stern expression formed on the man's face as he rushed over to the computer monitor the man had been looking at. Tifa, Yuffie, and Reno followed. What they saw was live footage from security cameras around Junon. On the particular screen that Reeve was watching, a man in a navy blue cloak, face hidden, was roaming quietly near the outside of the headquarters.

"Who…is that?" Tifa asked, her fascination piqued.

"We don't know. He's been showing up, suspiciously wandering around the city for the past four days. This is actually why I'm here. Reno!" The Turk nodded, unsheathed his rod, and bolted out the door.

"Will he be okay?" Yuffie was clearly concerned. "Is it safe to confront that guy?" Reeve confidently smirked and crossed his arms.

"Of course. He's a Turk, after all. Those guys are not easily dealt with!" Tifa nodded in compliance, remembering the many fights they'd had. They were definitely a skilled group of fighters. They intently watched the security footage as Reno raced down the stairs and exited the headquarters.

* * *

The Turk approached the man without hesitation, despite the large stature of the man; he was easily over six feet tall. Whatever this freak show was up to, he was going to find out. As he walked up to the man, he noticed that the man's face was still hidden. The outfit the man wore, the navy blue cloak, looked like something worn in a religious cult. Definitely a cult he'd never seen before, which was strange indeed.

"Hey buddy," Reno announced, his EMR resting on his shoulder, "anything I can help you with?" The man stood as still as a statue, looking in the general direction of Reno, his face still hidden. After several moments there was no response. The impatient Turk became quite frustrated. The nerve of someone to not answer, especially when he'd been polite about it, was not something to which he took comfortably. He growled under his breath for a moment before asking again. "Yo. Are you deaf? I'm trying to help…" he was cut off as he noticed the man's eyes light up under the shadow of his cloak. A bright teal color was all that he could notice.

This was not looking good; the redhead began to feel a sense of paranoia overcoming him. He found himself regretting approaching the man. After all that'd happened with SOLDIER, the last thing he wanted was to get into a fight with someone who resembled one. "Um, are you…" before he could finish the question, the cloaked man mysteriously replied, in a deep, monotonous drawl.

"Eden." The Turk raised an eyebrow and became a little more optimistic. Perhaps there was nothing to fear after all. Seems like the guy is just a little lost.

"Nah, sorry bro. This is Junon. Never heard of a place…" for the third time, he was unable to finish his sentence. This time, it was because the man, without warning, disappeared, and instantaneously reappeared directly in front of him. Not giving Reno time to process what was going on, he landed a solid punch directly to the ribs, sending the Turk flying a good ten feet backwards, unconscious. Glancing over to make sure that his opponent was defeated, he disappeared once more.

* * *

Tifa, Yuffie, and Reeve stood before the computer monitor, eyes wide with fear, near shaking. Reno was one of the best fighters that the previous Shinra corporation had, and this man just beat him like it was nothing. The only person they'd ever seen with the ability to just disappear was Sephiroth, and that thought did not sit well. All the computer operator could mutter was, "What…the hell?" Reeve immediately took charge.

"Alright, listen up!" The entirety of the staff present in the control room looked up intently. "I want a medical staff down there right away! Have soldiers accompany them, to avoid danger. I want Junon on full lockdown, and soldiers on every corner, in groups of three. Nobody is to approach this man unless he is threatening the general populace. Once he is located, report back to me. Have a retrieval squad ready to be deployed. Got it?"

"Yes, sir!" The many-membered staff saluted. Suddenly, the room became frantic with people running around, dispatching workers via the computer systems, and performing other duties. Tifa approached Reeve once more.

"Is there anything we can do? Will he be alright?" Reeve noticed that she was slightly shaking, and Yuffie had still been unable to take her eyes off the computer monitor.

"I hope so. I'm going to attend to Reno immediately, and am calling in the remaining Turks. I hope you understand, but this is, well, more pertinent than finding Cloud at the moment. You two are without a doubt more powerful and skilled than any soldier at my disposal, so if you wish, you can help search Junon, at your discretion."

Tifa nodded. "I understand. We'll do it."

"Be careful. I advise not to engage in combat with him, since he made short work out of Reno. If you find him, please call me so that I can send some of my more advanced machinery to deal with him."

"Of course, but, to be honest, I don't think robots will do much good if he has the ability to disappear."

"No." Reeve and Tifa looked back at Yuffie, who was still had her eyes glued on the computer screen. They were taken aback by her response.

"Uh, no what?"

"He didn't disappear," she answered, ominously. She was a ninja, and she knew disappearing when she saw it, and this was not disappearing. Nothing escapes her eyes.

"What do you mean, Yuffie? We just witnessed it!" Reeve was confused. He didn't want to hear anything pessimistic at the moment.

"He…didn't disappear. He just…moves very quickly," she replied, awestruck. Reeve walked back to the computer monitor.

"Are you sure?" He glanced down at the computer operator. "Jack, could you please rewind and slow down the video footage by say, twenty times?" Jack nodded, and did as instructed. The three looked on as the video confirmed Yuffie's suspicions. Even at twenty times slowed down, it was difficult to see, but more clear than previously. The cloaked man had sprinted up to Reno, not disappeared.

"Wow," was all Tifa could say. She was exceptionally trained in martial arts, and had no idea how to deal with someone who could move that swiftly, or pack that much of a punch. Reeve was once again the voice of reason.

"If he's running instead of disappearing, then we should be able to see in which direction he ran. Jack, slow down the end of the footage by fifty times." Jack once again performed his duty, and they saw the man running in the general direction of the airport.

* * *

At the same time, on another continent, a pilot and a man with a gun grafted into his arm were talking over a cup of tea in the pilot's back yard. Cid had been working on some new project, which to everyone's surprise, he refused to reveal the details of. Cid was always boastful about his work, never letting anyone forget that it was he who designed the Highwind. When asked about his new project, he always grinned, and replied "You'll see soon." Barret had just finished survey of an oil field near Rocket Town, and decided to spend his last day before going home visiting his old friend.

"Oil, eh? %$^ I coulda told ya that! How else ya think I power my aircraft? Mako?" Cid sneered as he took another sip of tea.

"Well regardless, the drilling will begin next week. Anyways, how's the Town doin'?"

"%#^ I don't know. I just work on my project all day. Don't got time to worry about these boring ass people." Barret chuckled. Cid never changed. "How's yer little girl doin'?"

Barret beamed. "Marlene's doin' well. She's started back ta school an' everything. Tifa's lookin' after her while I'm gone."

"That's nice. Always can count on her," he mentioned, while taking a puff of his cigarette.

"Damn, Cid, ain't you ever gonna quit? You releasin' more fumes than the Highwind!"

"Hey dammit, get off my back! %# I ain't doin' more damage than Shinra, so I don't wanna hear it!" This time, he took an extra long drag to irritate his friend. About this time, the old man who always adored his rocket came running up to his fence.

"Captain! Captain!"

Cid shot the man an annoyed glare, before replying. "What the %$# you want? Can't you see I'm trying to enjoy my GODDAMN TEA?" The elderly man widened his eyes, startled.

"Sorry to bother you, captain. But there's a strange looking fellow walking around near the Inn. Never seen him before."

"A strange looking fellow?" He sat down his tea cup and took another drag. "Well what's he look like?" Inwardly, both he and Barret were hoping the response would be "spiky yellow hair", but the answer disappointed them.

"He's wearing a red cloak lookin' thing, he is! Can't even see his face!" Cid and Barret exchanged worried glances. Sephiroth clones had worn cloaks; this was news that they did not want to hear.

"Alright, we'll check it out. But be warned, next time you interrupt my damn tea, I'll send you flying higher than I ever did!" The two stood up, Cid grabbing his Venus Gospel, and made their way to the Inn.

A/N: Happy Holidays everyone! Hope everything is going well. Recently started a blog, mostly with self-help topics. Check it out, if you want/have time.  
salimhyder. wordpress. com


	3. Chapter 3

_**Plans**_

A feeling of angst washed over the pilot as he sprinted towards the Inn with such speed that Barret couldn't keep up. It was a relatively new emotion, to be sure. For most of his life, he acted brashly, without considering consequences. This was a result of being consistently stripped of everything he desired in life. Initially, his dream of being the first man in space had been seemingly taken away by Shera. Then, Shinra confiscated the culmination of his brilliance, the Highwind. Finally, the Tiny Bronco had been broken. His constant disappointment led to him rushing headfirst into confrontations out of anger. That anger, however, wasn't as persistent anymore.

He ended up fulfilling his wish of being the first man in space. He ended up getting back the Highwind, sending a blatant "screw you" to the company that seized it in the process. And further, he made lifelong friends that helped him accomplish those goals. Not to mention, he realized just how much Shera cared about him, and how much she had been willing to sacrifice for him. His anger had blinded him for too long, but he finally had woken up, and married the woman.

No, the fury that once controlled him was replaced by sincere concern, with the desire to protect those he now cared about. Of course, that still didn't stop him from excessive use of profanity, however. Once in a close proximity to the Inn, he slowed down considerably, looking around. If it was some kind of Sephiroth clone, he'd want a plan before heading into battle. Barret caught up a few moments later, panting for breath.

"Shh!" He held his finger up to his lip. "Quiet! We don't wanna frighten the %#*(# now do we?" Barret snorted out of frustration, then began looking around as well. Cid took a drag of his cigarette, then tapped his partner to get his attention. Pointing, he had spotted the strange looking man meandering near to the weapon shop. Clothed in a red cloak, with notably good posture, and his face hidden, the man was reeking of mystery. Cid and Barret scurried up to the man, with slight butterflies in their stomachs.

"Hey pal, anything I can help ya with?" He held his spear vertically next to him, attempting to emit a "you don't want to mess with me" persona.

Without turning to them, the man replied, "Eden?". The pilot raised his eyebrow, and his companion stayed quiet. He couldn't, for the life of him, figure out how in the middle of the day, standing five feet from the man, they still couldn't see his face.

"Nope, sorry man, ain't nobody named Eden in this town. Least that I know of. She related to ya?"

There was no response, so the captain decided to try again.

"Hey, she related to ya?"

Again, no response, to which the pilot didn't take kindly. Barret was becoming pessimistic about this situation.

"Now listen here ya spooky %$&#*, I'm TRYIN' to keep my New Year's Resolution of bein' patient, but if ya ain't gonna cooperate, I'mma show you –" before the captain could finish, he suffered a huge kick to the sternum, sending him flying almost entirely back towards the Inn, with so much force his cigarette fell out of his mouth.

The former AVALANCHE leader wasted no time taking several steps back before unloading a flail of bullets onto the stranger. The man, however, was not getting hit. With incredible agility, he managed to evade each bullet. Barret figured that if the man did have a face, he was probably smirking out of amusement, which pissed him off further.

Hearing all of the gunshots, people around Rocket Town began fleeing into their houses, some placing in calls to the WRO for assistance. Cid finally managed to make it to his feet, though a bit disoriented.

"I'll be a goddamned Nibel wolf's uncle. I ain't even see that $%# comin'!" He rubbed his torso gently, then picked his spear back up. Watching the battle between Barret and the man, he had no idea how someone could possibly move so fast. Even Sephiroth didn't dodge that well. Thinking on his feet, he came up with a plan. "BARRET! KEEP FIRIN' ON THAT %$# "

Barret didn't even acknowledge the order; he knew that even though none of the shots were hitting, if he let up, it might all be over. Cid rapidly lit another cigarette, then pulled out three sticks of dynamite from his shirt, lighting them. "Let's see the %##% dodge this %$#!" He flung them towards the stranger at equal distances from one another, hoping that even if the man moved, he'd get caught in the explosion of at least one of them. "BARRET, HIT THE DECK!"

His partner stopped firing, leaped backwards, and took cover. Less than a second later, three explosions were heard, sending debris flying everywhere. The fence around the weapon shop was completely demolished, with some of its pieces getting stuck into a nearby tree. The two warriors looked up to see if the explosions had found their intended target. Unfortunately, the man was nowhere to be found. The captain stood back up, taking another drag.

"Well, %$ !"

Barret got back up as well, dusting himself off. "What we gonna do?"

The captain began briskly walking back to his house, his partner in tow. Calling towards the residence, he yelled "SHERA! MAKE SOME MORE DAMN TEA!". Then turning back to his comrade, replied, "Let's call Reeve."

* * *

Shadows crept over the canyons as its guardian exited his hometown. It'd been pretty boring for Nanaki since the Sephiroth incident. He stayed in his grandfather's observatory for the majority of his time, as the title of guardian didn't bear that much responsibility. Nothing had threatened Cosmo Canyon, and he became rather restless as of late, aching for something to do.

"Nanaki, where are you going?" the gatekeeper called out.

Turning around, he responded, "I'm going to do a bit of monster hunting, as there seem to be no pressing issues today. Keep a careful watch on the village."

"Will do, Nanaki!"

The monsters themselves were pretty boring. After facing off against WEAPONs, these were nothing but small fries. Still, it allowed him to stretch his muscles out a bit. After disposing of several dozen sahagins, he finally came across a golem! Although the foe was still weak, it provided a bit more of a challenge. Nanaki relied on his claws and fangs to attack, but golems were made of stone and metal, which made them difficult to damage.

The golem initiated a punching frenzy, but Nanaki's agility was superb, and he ended up not getting hit a single time. He leapt up, and with his back legs, kicked the golem square in the chest, leaving slight cracks. This time, the golem decided to play it safe by placing some distance between them and using an earth based attack, but Nanaki avoided it by running along the sides of the canyon toward the creature before using his back legs once more to kick. Surprisingly, the golem reacted just in time to avoid it, but not in time to avoid the Bolt 2 used from behind. When the lightning cleared, the golem was in pieces.

Taking a breath to recuperate, the guardian decided to visit the river slightly to the north of Cosmo Canyon. Walking at a slow pace, he began a trip down memory lane. It was already a year prior that the entire team walked this very path. He recalled the day before they took this path, the gang was gathered around the Cosmo Candle and discussed their reasons for being in the position they were in. Following his grandfather deep into hidden caves, he learned that his father was not the coward he assumed, but rather a noble hero.

Now, although they managed to save everything from destruction, he seemed to have nothing. A life without a goal was pointless. What goal did he have now? Protect Cosmo Canyon? From what? His father was gone. His grandpa was gone. He had very little contact with the rest of his friends.

"I guess this is what loneliness feels like. In Hojo's lab, I didn't exactly have time to think about it, as I was always trying to plot my escape," he muttered to himself. Finally coming to the river, he decided to rest for a while, still reminiscing.

After a two hour nap, he returned to Cosmo Canyon and went back to the observatory.

"Grandpa, I miss you," he said to no one in particular, looking up. Something was…out of place. He couldn't pinpoint it yet, but something was different. Had going outside the canyon messed with his head this much? "Wait a minute," he realized, opening his one eye widely. "Where's the huge materia?"

* * *

Seven hours elapsed as Junon was thoroughly searched by the WRO, aided by Tifa and Yuffie. The sun was beginning to set, and suffice it to say, everyone was more than a little exhausted.

"Tifa," Reeve began, looking apologetic, "I hope you understand but, I'm going to need to recall the search for Cloud. The Turks are arguably the most qualified in the WRO to handle this…situation."

Tifa managed a small smile. "I understand, it's okay. This is definitely more pressing, I guess."

"Is it safe to assume that you will continue your search?"

"Yes," she nodded in confirmation.

"Well then, I hope you'll let me know if anything comes of it," he offered a slight smile in return.

"Of course!" Just about then, Reeve's PHS rang.

"Reeve Tuesti speaking. Yes?" Tifa and Yuffie noticed the man's face grow dark and concerned as the person on the other line spoke. Both began to get a bad feeling about this. "Very well. I'll send some troops out there right away. Is everyone okay?" He waited for the other person to respond. "Alright, bye". He snapped his PHS shut then addressed the two girls in front of him.

"That was Cid. Apparently, someone similar to the man who attacked here attacked Rocket Town. Cid and Barret approached the man, who prompted a physical encounter, and the two fought with no luck."

"Damn!" Yuffie commented. "Who are these people?"

"To be quite honest, I'm not sure I want to find out," the WRO leader responded. "If even Cid and Barret didn't stand a chance, I'm quite hesitant about sending ANY of my men to face them."

"Hey, Yuffie, why don't we go check…," Tifa was cut off by her own PHS ringing. "Sorry," she continued as she fished her phone out of her pocket, answering it. "Hello? Oh hi, Nanaki. What's up?" Yuffie and Reeve listened intently, wondering if he as well had the misfortune of encountering one of these mystery opponents.

"WHAT?" Tifa shouted in response, her eyes widening. "Okay, I'll come to Cosmo Canyon right away!" Then closed her phone. "Bad news guys." Reeve felt butterflies in his stomach. He hoped that by forming the WRO, he could avoid any future threats or catastrophes, and in just about one day, that idea was blown to hell and back.

"What's up, Teef?" the ninja prompted.

"That was Nanaki."

"Yeah, we gathered that much," Yuffie rolled her eyes. "So?"

"The huge materia is gone."

There was a silence and then, "Oh….shit."

"So, you think these weird people took it?" Yuffie asked.

"No idea. I think we should go to Cosmo Canyon to investigate. If it was those strange men, then that's two sightings on the same continent on the same day. So there's a good chance we might run into them on that continent," Tifa responded.

"Actually," Reeve explained, everyone looking at him now, "unless they can fly, there's a 100% chance that they're still on the continent. There are no ships or planes heading anywhere off the island for a week."

"Alright, then. So what's the plan?"

"I think we should all meet up at Cosmo Canyon. And I mean everyone. These guys are powerful, so we'll need all of us to stand a chance."

"And then search the continent? That gives us a week. Should I arrange transport for us from town to town?" Reeve offered.

" 'Us'"? Yuffie inquired.

"Come on, you think I'll sit back and let you guys do everything!" he smiled. "I'm sure Reno will want to come along as well once he heals, which shouldn't take too long."

"Alright. Speaking of Turks, what about Rude or Elena?"

"They're in Midgar on a special investigation. I'd like them to remain there for the time being. If all of us can't defeat any of these guys, I doubt those two would make much of a difference."

Tifa couldn't help but wonder what the special investigation was, but then again, it was none of her business. Ironically, though this situation seemed very bleak, it made her feel better. Soon she'd meet up with all of her companions, and they'd have a goal again! With everyone fighting side by side, there's no way they could lose, right?

"Oh hey," the ninja began again. "What about Vincent?"

Tifa frowned. "I have no idea where he is. And he refuses to get a phone, so I guess there goes that idea."

"Oh, I see."

"Okay, then. Tifa, I suggest you call your friends in Rocket Town and tell them to plan to meet at Cosmo Canyon tomorrow. If they need transportation, I can arrange it. We'll depart from Junon airport at sunrise tomorrow. Sound good?"

Tifa smiled diligently. "Sounds like a plan."

* * *

In a location completely removed from the rest of humanity, a deranged man labored diligently in complete silence. He entered commands on a relatively primitive computer, swallowing his relentless frustration at the long bits and strings required for each code. If he had his way, he'd be working with some of Shinra's finest technology, but that was moot at this point. During Meteorfall, most of Shinra's technology in Midgar had been severely damaged. Regardless, even if the technology survived, it would've been incredibly difficult to relocate it to his current "home".

As he continued on with his research, he heard something, or rather, someone. Out of shock, he turned around and noticed four shadows entering the entrance of his cave. As the shadows dissolved, and he got a look at their faces, terror found its way to his being, though he remained steadfast in his resolve not to show it. None of the four were strangers, but three of them were ghosts from the past. He wasn't entirely surprised to see the person on the far left, but the other three, for as far as he knew, shouldn't be alive. Then again…he wasn't supposed to be either.

"So, has humanity found a Resurrect materia, or am I just behind on the times?" The scientist made no attempt to hide both his bewilderment and his sarcasm. The second man from the left stepped forward, a cocky smirk on his face.

"Surprised? That's a word I never thought would describe a scientist of your caliber." The scientist tensed up, taking annoyance to the petty insult. If there was anything he was proud of, it was his intellect. How dare an inferior mind mock his? Regardless, he had to, deep down, agree.

"Well, I'm not nearly as surprised that any of you are alive, as much as I'm surprised that you knew that I was. Or where to find me." He replied, placing his hands behind his back, allowing him to slouch.

"Knowledge is power. And I was a very powerful man."

"I see. So what exactly do you want? You are disrupting me, at the moment," his patience beginning to wear out.

"We're here to…disrupt you permanently," the man's grin becoming more cold.

"What?" He let his hands fall back down to his side, to defend himself if necessary. The men immediately to the left and right of the speaker of the group drew their swords, taking their combat stances.

"Wait a minute! What the hell do you think you're doing?" He placed his hands up. He had always been too proud to admit defeat in the past, but in the past, he'd always been able to have some trick up his sleeve. This time, much to his chagrin, he'd been caught off guard. He never expected anyone to find him.

"We came into contact with some of your more recent experiments. We cannot allow another global catastrophe to occur simply to satisfy your own selfish desires."

The scientist's mouth hung agape.

"What experiments?"

This time, the man to the left of the speaker, who seemed to be twitching and having a hard time controlling his anger, was the one to speak. "Don't play dumb, you son of a bitch."

"No need to resort to name calling, failure," the scientist replied, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

This was a response that none of the men had expected. It was very uncharacteristic of him to play dumb. Further, whenever he was pleased with his work, he never tried to conceal it. Was he, god forbid, telling the truth? No. If he wasn't responsible, then where had they come from?

"The strange men who've been appearing. The ones with incredible strength and speed?" The speaker tried to jog the man's memory.

"What kind of strength and speed?" He adjusted his glasses, fascinated.

"These two," the man pointed to the two men with swords, "had great difficulty even defending themselves. Considering their relationship with Sephiroth, I'd say these strange men are on his level, or, dare I say it, above him."

The scientist stood, pondering the consequences of what this man had just said. Was he telling the truth? He had to be, or there's no reason why they'd so desperately seek him out. But better than Sephiroth? Impossible.

"They kept mentioning something about Eden. Perhaps another…discovery of yours?"

"Never heard of it," he replied confidently.

"Hm. So you're saying you have nothing to do with these strange beings?"

"No. Is that all?"

"Well then, I have a proposal for you." The two men with swords tensed again, their faces burning. They knew what was coming, but didn't like it one bit. Still, considering their last few encounters, there was no other choice. "You nearly costed the planet its life once before. How'd you like to atone?"

"Not interested. I'm, how do the intellectually inferior call it, morally insane?" He cackled.

"Then how about doing it for the science?"  
"What science?"  
"To figure out where these men came from, and for what purpose. Aren't you curious? Beings more powerful than your beloved Sephiroth. I'm sure that would be a thrill for you."  
"And how exactly am I supposed to figure that out? I haven't any research specimen, no proper technology, no nothing in this place," he glanced around, waving his arms for emphasis.

"We can arrange that."  
The scientist turned his back, and rubbed his chin, walking back over to the computer.

"Well then…you have a deal," he nasally laughed, "Mr. President."


End file.
